Three sixth formers from Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, Abergele, have won praise from a Nobel Prize winner for their research into plant genes, after they gained places on the prestigious Nuffield Foundation project.

Ben Stone, George Goodall and Mike White have all now been offered places to study sciences at Cardiff University – where the genetic scientist Professor Sir Martin Evans – 2007 Nobel Prize winner for medicine – is Chancellor.

Tackling crop shortages due to climate change was their area of research. They spent five weeks at Aberystwyth University’s world-renowned plant sciences department, working on gene projects, researching what makes some plants more resilient to drought and pests. At the end they presented their findings at a research symposium in Cardiff, where they were handed awards by Professor Evans.

Ben, 18, from Kinmel Bay, is now planning to study for a biology degree after this summer’s A levels. He said: “ We mainly worked on computers with the project, editing details of the plants.

“I really enjoyed my time there and it has helped me to decide what to study at university. I’ve got offers of places and I am sure that my time with the Nuffield Foundation helped with my applications.”

Mike, 17, is aiming to study chemistry, after being inspired by the project. “We all got offers from five universities, without needing to do interviews, which is unusual.

The research involved a lot of computer work, explained 17-year-old George, from Kinmel Bay, and that has helped shaped his decision to study mechanical engineering.

“This was a great experience, which I found really interesting. I am very interested in computers and this project has shown me how different parts of the world of science come together.”

This is the first of a series of images of Abergele from Dennis Parr’s collection. Mr Parr will be familiar to many who’ve lived in the town since the 1960s. He used to run Parr’s shops in Market St.

This image, from his collection and reproduced with Dennis Parr’s permission, shows Mr Robert Jones, the coachman who was employed by the Bee Hotel long ago to meet guests at Pensarn raiway station and shuttle them to the Bee Hotel.

We’ll publish more images from the Dennis Parr Collection on this site over the coming months.

Sam Roberts has had a passion for many years. He runs a website about the ghostsigns in Britain’s towns. He even plots walking tours of places like London where you can look at these signs. These are the old signs which have been forgotten. In response to a special request from Sam on Twitter, here are two plus one which has been painted over here in Abergele, and here they are:

The Mountjoy Cafe and Accommodation ghost sign, by the Gele bridge in town in Abergele

Morgan’s Chemist sign. This used to be a ghost sign, until it was painted over, preserving it for longer.

Darren Millar AM returned to his old school to congratulate Lee Cummins on his first year as headteacher of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan. Mr Cummins said:

“During the past year we have been able to enhance the facilities at the school, with investment in ICT, with improvements for many of the study facilities for learners of all ages and abilities. I am also excited by future plans for the school.”

Mr Millar attended the school in the late 1980s. He returned to meet up with Mr Cummins to hear about his latest plans, before joining a group of Year Seven Learners in the school library.

Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan Pictured is local AM and ex-pupil of Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan Darren Millar with school HeadTeacher Lee Cummins, who is marking his first year in the role and year 7 pupils (L/R) Megan Sheppard, Abbie Ellis, Jessie Rollinson-Davies, Jay Bagnall, Harri Jones and Matthew Jones.

The school, which dates back to 1899, has more than 1,100 learners with 140 teaching and support staff.
Source: Ceidiog PR.

“Thought this might be of interest to you, I am going through papers of my late Mother who sadly passed away in September 2014 two weeks short of her 90th birthday. On the back is written Christmas 1947 Manchester Children’s Abergele Sanatorium, North Wales, Pantomime. My mother’s name was Erna Darzins (Latvian refugee, who would have been 23 in 1947)) she is the lady at the back right hand side with the lion on her head! She talked fondly of her time in Abergele and no doubt the Welsh air did her good.”

“I’ve been carrying out research for the last two years on Kinmel camp, mainly relating to its construction and layout of the camp during the Great War..

“I have several plans from 1938 onwards and a sketch of the camp from Julian Putkowskis book on the riots. I have also spoken to Julian about the camp.

“I’m currently trying to locate a plan of the camp during the Great War and have looked in every conceivable place locally and out of the area, including, National archives, McAlpines, local authority, council, libraries,records offices, IWM, MOD, highways, Cadw, CPA, National library of wales, Lidle collection, Royal Engineers museum, WFA, Canada, Kinmel Camp, etc, etc..

“Would anyone have an idea where else to look?

“I’m also trying to locate photos of the camp, its buildings and the men who served there and would kindly ask if anyone has photos of relatives. If so, would it please be possible to have a copy of them..

“This is part of a large project which hopefully culmunate in a memorial site to those who served there.”

Arthur is commemorated on the Abergele War Memorial. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 32 and 33, Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

He was the oldest son of the late Canon Thomas and Fanny Jones, of 14, Rhiw Bank Terrace, Colwyn Bay. Canon Thomas Jones had for many years prior to the war been rector of Abergele. Arthur was born in Ruabon, grew up in Abergele and enlisted in London. His youngest brother, Edgar Wilkinson Jones, was killed in 1917. His other brother, Frank Marsingale Jones was a Captain in the 9th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was mentioned in dispatches June 1916. Frank died in Bedfordshire in 1957.

Arthur enlisted into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps in London on 13 October 1914. He was not new to the soldiers life, having served in South Africa (the Boer War) for over a year. For this he held the Queen’s South Africa Medal, with five clasps. At the time of his enlistment he was unmarried, 33 years old, 5′ 9″ tall with brown hair and worked as a Clerk. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Fanny, with an address, at that time, of ‘The Vicarage, Abergele‘.

He was at Winchester by 17 October 1914 and was posted to the 6th (Reserve) Battalion of the KRRC that was in training there. Given his experience in South Africa, his training was more of a refresher course and he was swiftly made available for overseas service. This came on 22 November 1914 when he was posted to the 2nd KRRC in France, disembarking there on 23 November 1914. 2nd KRRC had been part of the original BEF and had been involved in battle at Mons, Etreux, the Marne, the Aisne, Chivy and, most recently, the First Battle of Ypres. It was in desperate need of reinforcements.

Arthur was posted as ‘missing believed killed‘ 12 January 1915. His death on that date was accepted for official purposes on 28 March 1916, a move apparently prompted by a letter of enquiry written by Arthur’s mother on 1 March 1916. No further details as to what happened to Arthur on 12 January 1915 are available.

Frederick is not commemorated in the Abergele district despite his connections with Llanddulas. He was buried in a cemetery but the precise site was subsequently lost in the fighting and he is commemorated on Special Memorial 13, Kemmel Churchyard, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Other memorials include: War Memorial for the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, St. Hildeburghs Church, Hoylake; Garston Civic Memorial; Liverpool Cricket & Rugby Club War Memorial; SS Matthew & James’ Church War Memorial, Mossley Hill; Sefton Park Presbyterian Church War Memorial.

Frederick Harding Turner was born on 29 May 1888 in Liverpool, the younger son of William Neil and Jessie Turner. William was a principal partner in the Liverpool printing firm of Turner & Dunnett of Fenwick Street. He owned a second home, Bronwendon, in Llanddulas for a number of years until shortly before the war (today this is the building to the right of the entrance to Bron-y-Wendon holiday park on Wern Road). Consequently his two sons, Frederick and William, spent some time in Llanddulas when not away at school and they became quite well known in the area.

Frederick began his education at Greenbank school, Liverpool, where he began to learn to play Rugby, specialising as a flanker. From there he moved to Sedburgh School between 1902 and 1907. There he showed his athleticism in numerous sports and captained both the Rugby and Cricket teams. He also joined the Officer Training Cadets, was a prefect and won the Sixth Form prize. As he left for Oxford, his Master wrote of him, “I hardly remember such a combination of character, industry, and athletic distinction; when the three are in such a harmonious blend the type cannot be improved upon.”

In 1907 he moved to Trinity College, Oxford, to study law, gaining a third class degree in 1910. The quality of his degree may have been affected by his passion for sport, especially Rugby. In 1907 he had played for the Officers of the Army v the Officers of the Royal Navy in February and December. He played for Oxford University against the 1908-1909 Australian touring side, and also captained the University team to a welcome win against their arch rivals Cambridge in 1910 . He also played cricket for Oxford as a bowler, averaging a wicket every 16 balls and a batting average of 10 as well as for Lancashire County Cricket Club second XI. In addition he was a keen golfer. Whilst at Oxford, Frederick became good friends with a fellow Rugby player, Ronald William Poulton-Palmer. The two played together in the 1909 Varsity match, when Poulton-Palmer scored five tries.

The Oxford University Rugby team of 1909-10. Frederick is centre, with the ball. By Frederick’s side is Ronald Poulton-Palmer, Captain of England.

He left Oxford in 1910 with an endorsement from the President of the College, who wrote that, “Every undergraduate respected him, not only as an athlete, but as a thoroughly sensible and upright man, and all in authority knew him to be reliable in every way.”

He began working for his father’s printing company and played Rugby for Liverpool FC (Rugby Union) – known today as St. Helen’s Rugby Union Football Club. It was at this time that he probably took up temporary residence in Llanddulas. Known by now by his nickname of ‘Tanky’, due to his physical size and strength, he was called up for the Scotland international side, making his debut as a flanker in France on 2 January 1911. He became an ever present for that and the subsequent season playing against Wales, England, Ireland and France. His 5 conversions against France in 1912 was, at that time, a record equaling feat.

On 18 May 1912 Frederick was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 1/10th (Scottish) territorial battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. This battalion was very much known as a ‘Rugby’ battalion. One of Frederick’s comrades was Lieutenant Percy Dale Kendall who had been captain of the England international side in 1903.

The 1912-13 international rugby season also saw him bestowed with the honour of becoming Captain of the Scotland international team, leading his country to a famous 8-3 victory over England at Inverleith in the Five Nations / Calcutta Cup game and also playing against the touring South Africans. In 1913 he played in three of Scotland’s four internationals as Captain. He then announced his semi-retirement from international Rugby to concentrate on Liverpool FC, but answered the call in 1914 to play in what turned out to be Scotland’s final international before the outbreak of war, scoring a conversion in a 16-15 points defeat to England at Inverleith. The England team was captained by his old friend from Oxford, Ronald Poulton-Palmer. Frederick, Poulton-Palmer and six members of that Scotland team were destined to lose their lives in the impending conflict. In total, Frederick had gained 15 Scotland caps, scoring two tries.

Frederick as Captain of Scotland against South Africa in 1912

On the outbreak of war, Frederick volunteered for foreign service and was promoted to temporary Lieutenant on 25 September 1914. The 1/10th Liverpool (Scottish) battalion began arriving at Le Havre in November 1914, with Frederick disembarking on the 3rd. Whilst waiting for the battalion to be allotted to a Brigade, Frederick was involved in some ceremonial duties.

“Field Marshall Lord Roberts, who had been paying a visit to the Indian troops at the front, returned to Sir John French’s headquarters at St Omer suffering from a chill and died there of pneumonia on 14 November. On the 17th his body was to be taken to the Hotel de Ville for a short service and thence to the railway station to be removed to England for burial. The Liverpool Scottish had the honour of being detailed to line the Place Gambetta, in which the Hotel de Ville is, and also the street leading to it. One officer, Lieutenant F H Turner, and twenty picked men, were also detailed to take part in the procession, and a splendid looking lot they were, none of them under six feet in height.” ( A. M. McGilchrist, ‘The Liverpool Scottish, 1900-1919‘. N.B, according to his army records, Frederick was actually 5′ 11″ tall.)

Second Lieutenant Turner

The battalion was assigned to 9th Brigade, 3rd Division on 25 November 1914. They moved into the front line, near Kemmel, south-west of Ypres, on 27 November. Over the next few weeks they moved in and out of the waterlogged trenches. The winter was particularly harsh and the men must have been quite miserable. Many of the soldiers developed trench foot and other illnesses in the terrible conditions and by January of 1915 the battalion, which began with 829 men, numbered just 329, only 32 of whom had been killed in action. The battalion’s medical officer, Noel Chavasse , another friend of Frederick’s, was kept very busy. Noel had grown up in Liverpool, being the son of the Bishop, and was studying medicine at Oxford until 1909. He was also a keen Rugby player and, although not of the same standard as Frederick, it is easy to see how the two bonded. Noel Chavasse would go on to win two Victoria Crosses and the Military Cross and was the only man to be awarded two VC’s in the Great War, and one of only 3 to achieve that remarkable feat in history. He was badly wounded in 1917 whilst carrying out the feat that gained him the award of his second VC and he died of his injuries two days later.

It was during the harsh winter that Frederick saw his first opportunity to get more directly involved in the fighting frustratingly slip away.

“On 14 December, the 8th Brigade carried out an attack with two battalions, Gordon Highlanders and Royal Scots, on the enemy’s position in the Petit Bois. They jumped off from the trenches held by the Liverpool Scottish and Northumberland Fusiliers, whose men were withdrawn to Kemmel except for covering parties. The Scottish left in the line one platoon each of the “X” and “Z” Companies, under Lieuts. F.H. Turner and A.A. Gemmell, and the machine-gun section under Lieut. E McKinnell. Owing to a misunderstanding, part of “X” Company’s platoon left the trenches with the remainder of the company, and Lieut. Turner, thinking it hardly worth while to keep such a small covering party as the few men who were left, asked the Royal Scots for permission to join them in the attack but this request was refused.”

Frederick was clearly one of those young men with a desire to do more for the war effort and, despite the hardships and dangers, he was clearly enjoying it. It was during the dismal winter in the trenches that Frederick wrote to his brother stating;

“It is a man’s life out here, it agrees with me splendidly. I have never felt fitter in my life. True, we have had some hardships and not a little discomfort, but it has been a picnic in comparison with what the regulars went through. They are a magnificent lot.”

However, the opportunity to do more was not presenting itself. The 1/10th were in and out of the trenches carrying out routine tasks. Other than the occasional shelling and the ever present enemy snipers, the greatest threat to the men’s health was trench-foot. It was thus that, on 9 January 1915, the 1/10th battalion was in the trenches, still near Kemmel, for another routine day. During the night Frederick oversaw the laying of some new barbed wire entanglements in front of his men’s trenches. As dawn broke the following morning, a short distance away, having noticed some changes in front of the British position, a German sniper kept close watch.

After breakfast, Frederick made his way down the waterlogged trenches to inspect the work of the previous night.

“On the way he looked up twice for a second, and each time he was shot at, but both shots missed. He then got to a place where the parapet was rather low, and was talking to a Sergeant when a bullet went between their heads. Lieut. Turner said, ‘By Jove, that has deafened my right ear’. The Sergeant remarked, ‘And my left one too, Sir’. Lieut. Turner then went a shade lower down, and had a look at the wire, and was shot clean through the middle of the forehead, the bullet coming out at the back of his head, killing him instantly.” [Account from a fellow Officer, produced in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-24. I have identified the Sergeant as John Blake Jones. Sergeant Jones would later be killed by the same shell that would kill Fred’s brother, William Stewart Turner, in June 1915.]

Stretcher bearers and medical assistance were immediately called for. Quickly on the scene was Noel Chavasse but there was nothing he could do.

“We got him down to (name removed by censor) that night with great difficulty and buried him in the local churchyard in pouring rain. The grave, though baled out in the evening, was 18 inches deep in water. However it is quite the best cared for grave in the churchyard, and looks very pretty, with a nice cross put up by one of the other regiments in the brigade, and also a very nice wreath.” [Account from a fellow Officer, produced in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-24.]

It was Kemmel that the officer was referring to, and Frederick was buried in Kemmel churchyard. Unfortunately, this was later subject to heavy shelling and the exact grave site was lost. As his grave site is now unclear, a special memorial headstone has been erected.

His old friend Poulton-Palmer , Captain of the England Rugby team of 1914, and now of the 1/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, when he heard the news of his friend’s death, wrote that:

“I have played behind many packs of forwards, but never have I been so freed from anxiety as when those forwards were led by Fred Turner. His play, like his tackle, was hard and straight, and never have I seen him the slightest perturbed or excited and in this fact lay the secret of his great power of control….his face always showed his cheery satisfaction with the world at large. At any moment he would burst into that cheery and infectious laugh He was always ready to take his part in any harmless practical joking, on tour or elsewhere.”

Frederick’s commanding officer, Colonel Davidson, wrote;

” Fred was a gallant fellow, a universal favourite and the idol of the men under his command. His ever cheery manner and courageous bearing under all conditions endeared him to all his comrades. One of his fellow officers remarked to me that Fred Turner, above all men he had ever met, was one in whom it was impossible to find a fault, and I heartily endorse this opinion.”

Another officer wrote to his bereaved parents that:

“Others will tell you of his superlative qualities as a soldier. Never have I met a truer, straighter man than he, or one braver or more honest. He was a man all through – and he was such a dear good chap as a pal. We shall never forget him.” [Rugby Football Internationals: Roll of Honour]

That Frederick was loved by his platoon is clear from the fact that they would petition for his brother William to become their new Officer and also from the following account by one of his men;

“His first thought was always of his men; when their spirits were inclined to droop he rallied them and joked with them, though he always took upon himself the most dangerous and disagreeable duties. A sniper who had tracked him along the trench picked him off.”

The preacher of a memorial sermon, Rev. Alexander Connell, delivered in Sefton Park Church on the 19th January, 1915, emphasised his unusual modesty, and the fact that he had been a faithful attendant and communicant at that church; even after a heavy day on a Saturday he would take a long journey to be in his place in church on Sunday morning. He commented on;

“….Lieut. F. H. Turner’s deep character, which makes a man’s strength steadfast, protective, kindly. It was a life that shaped towards a settled usefulness and wise counsel in citizenship and the Church of Christ, a life on which many would have come to lean, a life that would have sheltered the weak, and been a staff to rest on by all who followed the chivalrous and righteous cause. His was a loyal soul – loyal to his home, his family, his club, his city, his country.”

Buried in the same cemetery as Frederick is his good friend Percy Dale Kendall, a former England Rugby Captain. His special memorial stands right next to Frederick’s: Scotland and England Captain’s, side by side.

***

[This account was originally written for publication elsewhere and I acknowledge the assistance of Joe Devereux, the expert on the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, Pierre Vandervelden in Belgium, St. Helens RUFC, and colleagues from the Great War Forum, notably Gareth Morgan, Andy Pay and a chap called Robert who visited Kemmel for me and whose surname, I regret to say, I never quite got! All images are reproduced with permission from copyright holders or are out of copyright.]